20 Slow Lorises Who Were Kept as Pets Are Now Heading Back to the Wild Thanks to Rescuers!

Twenty slow lorises who were previously kept as pets are finally returning to the place they should’ve called home all along. The twenty Javan slow lorises were surrendered by their owners between 2015 and 2018 and suffered from stress, trauma, and malnutrition, all of which altered their natural behaviors. Now, thanks to the efforts of The Conservation of Natural Resources Department (BBKSDA), International Animal Rescue (IAR), and the slow loris Conservation program in the Masigit-Kareumbi Conservation Forest Area, the group will begin the habituation process and settle into their homes in a protected enclosure before being fully released into the wild.

Of the twenty slow lorises, seven are male and thirteen are female, which also include two mother-infant pairs, named Lia-Lio and Petra-Petri. The others are named Iik, Colek, Merdeka, Najuna, Airin, Mojang, Jajaka, Haq, Gimbul, Tako, Zwitsal, Dove, Zohri, Yuna, Sari, and Itih.

The endangered primates were selected for release after passing several medical examinations and undergoing rehabilitation at the IAR. According to Nur Purba Priambada, IAR medical supervisor, in Bogor, West Java the rehabilitation process reinforced the lorises’ natural wild behaviors in preparation for the habituation process and eventually, life in the wild.

The lorises were transported to the Masigit-Kareumbi Conservation Forest Area, an approximately 12,420-hectare area with a suitable ecosystem for the preservation and protection of slow lorises.

The habituation process lasts from two to four weeks. They will be closely monitored and observed to ensure they will be ready for their new life in the wild before being released.

“Returning slow lorises to the forest is in fact much harder than hunting or capturing them from the wild. It requires a lot of effort and funds to ensure the individuals are suitable to be released into their natural habitat,” said Robithotul Huda, Program Manager at IAR Indonesia in Bogor. “The process and stages are also time intensive and have to be in accordance with strict operational procedures. In addition, habitat assessment at release sites, habituation, post-release monitoring to ensure adaptation and long-term survival, are processes that must be followed rigorously to give the lorises the best chance of thriving back in the forest.”

While the return of these slow lories is a momentous occasion to be celebrated, it is also one that should never have been needed. Keeping these animals as pets is cruel and directly contributes to poaching and the exotic pet trade. In order to be sold as pets, slow lorises are torn away from their families only to then have their teeth removed (which are poisonous) so that they do not bite their new “owners.” As Huda adds, “In captivity as pets, many slow lorises eventually die as a result of the torture and compromised welfare they experience from being passed through channels of the illegal trade.”

IAR and other organizations are on the frontlines fighting to save the slow loris. You can help by donating, spreading awareness, and sharing articles such as this one with your network. To learn more about how you can help deter the illegal pet trade, click here.

Image Source: International Animal Rescue